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641. And if any one shall desire to hurt them.- That this signifies the protection of them by the Lord, lest they should be in any way injured, is evident from what follows; for it is said, "if any one shall desire to hurt them, fire shall go forth out of their mouth, and shall devour their enemies"; also, "if any one shall desire to hurt them, he must thus be killed." From these words, and those also which immediately follow, it is evident that the words "if any one shall desire to hurt them" signify protection by the Lord, lest they should be in any way injured. This is said of the two witnesses, who signify the doctrine of the good of love to the Lord and of the good of charity towards the neighbour; and this is the doctrine of life, to which the doctrine of faith will be subservient; these doctrines will be proclaimed about the time of the end of the church.
[2] What the words that follow in these two verses involve, has indeed been said above, but because they are among things that are unknown, it shall be repeated. When the end of the church is at hand, then the interior things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, are revealed and taught. The reason is that the good may be separated from the evil; for the interior things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, which are celestial and spiritual, are received by the good, but rejected by the evil, separation being the result. Besides, also, the interior things of the Word, which are revealed at the end of the church, are serviceable to the new church, which is then also being formed, in proportion to doctrine and life. That this is the case is clear from this, that when the end of the Jewish church was at hand, the Lord Himself opened and taught the interior things of the Word, and especially revealed those which had been predicted in the Word concerning Himself, and these being opened and revealed, the external things of the church were abrogated; these consisted principally of sacrifices, rituals, and statutes that shadowed forth the Lord, and represented and thence signified the interior things of the church which were revealed by Him. That this would come to pass was also predicted in various passages in the prophets.
[3] The case is the same at this day, for it has now pleased the Lord to reveal various arcana of heaven - especially the internal or spiritual sense of the Word - which have been till now entirely unknown, and He has also taught the genuine truths of doctrine. This revelation is meant by the "Coming of the Lord" in Matthew (24:3, 30, 37). The reason of this revelation at the end of the church is, as said above, that by means of it the separation of the good from the evil may be accomplished, and also a new church formed, and this not only in the natural world where men are, but also in the spiritual world where spirits and angels are. For the church is in both worlds, and revelation takes place in both, and separation by means of it, as also the formation of a new church. From these things it is evident that by the above words protection from the Lord is signified, lest they should be injured.
[4] If the successive states of the churches on our earth are considered, it is evident that they have been like the successive states of a man who is being reformed and regenerated; for in order that he may become a spiritual man, he is first conceived, afterwards born, then he grows up, and is subsequently led on further and further into intelligence and wisdom. The church from the most ancient times, even to the end of the Jewish church, increased in the same way as a man who is conceived and born, and who grows up, and is instructed and taught. But the successive states of the church after the end of the Jewish church, or from the Lord's time to the present day, have been like those of a man who grows in intelligence and wisdom, or is being regenerated. For this end the interior things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, were revealed by the Lord when He was in the world; and now, again, things still more interior are [revealed] and in proportion as things interior are revealed, so far a man may become wiser, for to become interior is to become wiser, and to become wiser is to become interior.
641. Verse 5. And if anyone will hurt them, signifies protection of these by the Lord, that they be not hurt in any way. This is evident from what follows; for it is said, "if anyone will hurt them, fire, shall go forth out of their mouth and shall devour their enemies;" also "if anyone will hurt them, thus must he be killed." From these words and those that further follow it is evident that "if anyone will hurt them" signifies protection by the Lord that they be not hurt in any way. This is said of "the two witnesses," which signify the doctrine of the good of love to the Lord and of the good of charity towards the neighbor, which is the doctrine of life, which the doctrine of faith is to serve; and these doctrines will be preached at the time of the end of the church.
[2] What the words that follow in these two verses involve has been told above, but since they are among things unknown it shall be told again. When the end of a church is at hand, then the interior things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, are revealed and taught. This is done that the good may be separated from the evil; there is a separation because the interior things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, which are celestial and spiritual, are received by the good, but are rejected by the evil. Moreover, the interior things of the Word, which are revealed at the end of the church, are serviceable for doctrine and life to the New Church that is also then established. That this is so is evident from this, that when the end of the Jewish Church was at hand the Lord Himself opened and taught the interior things of the Word, and especially revealed those things in the Word that had been foretold of Himself; and when these had been opened and revealed the externals of the church were abrogated, which consisted chiefly of sacrifices and rituals and statutes which shadowed forth the Lord, and represented and thence signified the interior things of the church which He was revealing. That this would be done was predicted in various passages in the prophets.
[3] The like has been done at the present time; for it has now pleased the Lord to reveal many arcana of heaven, especially the internal or spiritual sense of the Word, which has heretofore been wholly unknown, and with that He has taught the genuine truths of doctrine. This revelation is meant by "the coming of the Lord" in Matthew 24:3 (Matthew 24:3), 30, 37. A revelation is necessary at the end of the church in order, as has been said, that by means of it the good may become separated from the evil, and a New Church established, and this not only in the natural world where men are, but also in the spiritual world where spirits and angels are; for in both worlds there is a church, and revelation takes place in both, and thereby separation, as also the establishment of a New Church. From this it can be seen that these words signify protection by the Lord that they be not hurt.
[4] As regards the successive states of the churches on our globe, they have evidently been similar to the successive states of a man who is being reformed and regenerated, namely, that to become a spiritual man, he is first conceived, next is born, then grows up, and is afterwards led on further and further into intelligence and wisdom. The church, from the most ancient times to the end of the Jewish Church, progressed like a man who is conceived, born, and grows up, and is then instructed and taught; but the successive states of the church after the end of the Jewish Church, or from the time of the Lord even to the present day, have been like a man increasing in intelligence and wisdom, or becoming regenerate. For this end the interior things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, were revealed by the Lord when He was in the world; and now again, things still more interior are revealed; and in the measure that things interior are revealed can man become wiser; for to become interior is to become wiser, and to become wiser is to become interior.
641. [Vers. 5.] "Et si quis illis voluerit nocere." - Quod significet tutelam illorum a Domino ne ullo modo laedantur, constat ex sequentibus; nam sequitur", Si quis voluerit illis nocere, ignis egredietur ex ore illorum, et devorabit inimicos illorum"; tum, "Si quis illis voluerit nocere, ita oportet illum occidi": ex quibus verbis, et ex adhuc sequentibus, patet quod per "Si quis illis voluerit nocere" significetur tutela a Domino ne ullo modo laedantur. Dicitur hoc de "duobus testibus", per quos significatur doctrina boni amoris in Dominum et boni charitatis erga proximum, quae est doctrina vitae, cui doctrina fidei inservitura est; quae doctrinae circa finem ecclesiae praedicabuntur.
[2] Quid sequentia in binis versibus involvunt, supra quidem dictum est; sed quia inter ignota sunt, iterum dicetur. Quando finis ecclesiae instat, tunc interiora Verbi, ecclesiae et cultus, revelantur et docentur: causa est, ut separentur boni a malis; nam interiora Verbi, ecclesiae et cultus, quae sunt caelestia et spiritualia, recipiuntur a bonis, sed rejiciuntur a malis; inde separatio: praeterea etiam interiora Verbi, quae in fine ecclesiae revelantur, inserviunt novae ecclesiae, quae etiam tunc instauratur, pro doctrina et pro vita: quod ita sit, constare potest ex eo, quod, dum finis Ecclesiae Judaicae instabat, Ipse Dominus aperuerit et docuerit interiora Verbi, et imprimis revelaverit illa quae in Verbo de Ipso praedicta fuerunt; quibus apertis et revelatis abrogabantur externa ecclesiae, quae imprimis constabant in sacrificiis, ac in ritibus et statutis, quae adumbrabant Ipsum, et repraesentabant et inde significabant interiora ecclesiae quae ab Ipso revelabantur; quod ita fieret, praedictum est variis in locis apud Prophetas.
[3] Similiter hodie factum est; placuit enim nunc Domino revelare plura arcana caeli, imprimis sensum Verbi internum seu spiritualem, qui hactenus plane ignotus fuerat; et cum illo docuit genuina vera doctrinae: quae revelatio intelligitur
per "adventum Domini", apud Matthaeum (24:3, 30, 37).
Causa revelationis in fine ecclesiae est quae dicta, nempe, ut per illam fiat separatio bonorum a malis, tum instauratio ecclesiae novae, et hoc non modo in mundo naturali ubi sunt homines, sed etiam in mundo spirituali ubi sunt spiritus et angeli; nam in utroque mundo est ecclesia, et utrobivis fit revelatio, et per illam separatio, ut et ecclesiae novae instauratio. Ex his constare potest quod per illa verba significetur tutela a Domino, ne laedantur.
[4] Si spectantur status successivi ecclesiarum in nostra tellure, patet quod fuerint sicut status successivi hominis qui reformatur et regeneratur; quod, ut fiat spiritualis homo, primum concipiatur, dein nascatur, tum adolescat, et postea ulterius et ulterius in intelligentiam et sapientiam perducatur. Ecclesia ab antiquissimis temporibus usque ad finem Ecclesiae Judaicae, increvit sicut homo qui concipitur, nascitur et adolescit, et tunc instruitur et docetur; at status successivi ecclesiae, post finem Ecclesiae Judaicae, seu a tempore Domini, usque ad hodiernum diem, fuerunt sicut homo crescit intelligentia et sapientia, seu regeneratur; quem ob finem interiora Verbi, ecclesiae et cultus a Domino, cum fuit in mundo, revelata sunt; et nunc denuo adhuc interiora; et quantum interiora revelantur, tantum potest homo sapientior fieri; nam interior fieri est sapientior, ac sapientior fieri est interior.